title: Amniotic fluid urocortin-1 concentrations for the prediction of preterm delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to analyze whether urocortin-1 concentration in midtrimester amniotic fluid could serve as an indicative marker of preterm labor.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Urocortin-1 concentrations in midtrimester amniotic fluid were measured in 22 pregnant women with preterm deliveries and 45 women who delivered at term using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median amniotic fluid urocortin-1 concentration was significantly lower in the women with preterm birth (40.06 pg/mL; range, 13.77-67.58 pg/mL) than in the women who gave birth at term (49.56 pg/mL; range, 26.25-175.9 pg/mL; P = 0.022). The result of receiver-operator curve analysis indicates that an amniotic fluid urocortin-1 concentration ≤ 57.88 pg/mL had an area under the curve of 0.673 (95% confidence interval, 0.55-0.78; P = 0.01) with a sensitivity of 81.8%, specificity of 40.0%, positive predictive value of 40%, and a negative predictive value of 82% in identifying which of the patients subsequently delivered prematurely.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that low urocortin-1 concentration in midtrimester amniotic fluid could be used as an indicative marker of preterm birth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Inonu University, School of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey. drkaraer@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karaer
authors.forename: Ebru
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Onder
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Omer Yavuz
authors.initials: OY
authors.lastname: Simsek
authors.forename: İbrahim Halil
authors.initials: İH
authors.lastname: Ozerol
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.forename: Ilgın
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Turkcuoglu
authors.forename: Senem Arda
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Duz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000649:Amniocentesis; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D054832:Urocortins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C576814:UCN protein, human; D054832:Urocortins